


Caramel and Citrus

by glitterlich



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Author Is Sleep Deprived, Bisexual Sokka (Avatar), M/M, Misunderstandings, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Pining, Scent Kink, Sokka is not very bright, Some hurt/comfort, mentions of sokka/yue and sokka/suki
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2020-11-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:14:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24920644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glitterlich/pseuds/glitterlich
Summary: Sokka had never considered himself a "real" alpha.
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 19
Kudos: 319





	1. Wrong Tent

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is mostly a re-tooling of a scene in season 3, so almost all of the dialogue is taken directly from that episode. Credit goes to the amazing writers of ATLA for that, not to me!! Though everything around it is my own shameful creation, and later chapters will be original dialogue. This chapter has been banging around in my head for like 2 months so I had to do it. No smut here, but I have plans. Also, Re: Omegaverse, I picked and chose my favorite parts of the trope. Not everything is 100% typical A/B/O so don't kill me about it.

Sokka had never really thought of himself as an alpha. Sure he was the son of the chief, and technically an alpha by birth, but his tribe in the south was so tiny he'd never had what would be considered the 'alpha experience'. Alphas, he knew from a few books that made their way to the Southern Water Tribe from the Earth Kingdom when he was younger, were almost all royalty or close to it. They made up a small percent of the population, and were considered more capable than anyone else. They usually had an easygoing life, with servants and people catering to their every whim. The books also provided a good deal of interesting information on their omega counterparts, and a few related topics-- ones that his puberty-addled self had practically worn through the pages from reading so many times.

But Sokka hadn't grown up in luxury. He was raised to fight, hunt, fish, forage, and do all manner of other tasks that most alphas wouldn't deign to do. His sister was the same. The two of them, along with their father Hakoda, were the only alphas in the entire Southern Water Tribe. Katara took over so many responsibilities when they lost their mother. Far from being waited on hand and foot, she rarely had a free moment to herself in the years before they left to travel with Aang.

When he met Yue, alpha royalty of the Northern Tribe, Sokka fell hard for her grace and charm (not to mention her eyes, oh man), and he felt that she was someone he could make a proper life with. Two alphas, marrying and joining together the distant tribes of their people? What could be better? Of course that dream was cut violently short after the Fire Nation attack and Yue's transformation into the moon spirit, and Sokka vowed to himself he wouldn't be hurt like that again.

Suki was different, in a similar way as he himself was. She was an omega, but the fearless leader of the Kiyoshi warriors. It actually took Sokka an embarrassingly long time to figure out that she was an omega. Most of the omegas in the southern water tribe either left to fight in the war or were happily bonded to a beta partner, so he hadn't had much memorable interaction with any of them. He knew Suki smelled good, but don't all girls smell nice? He was pretty sure it was just a girl thing. It was only after crossing the serpent's pass, when he saw her holding the baby Hope, that he realized there was something unusual about her. And even then, Katara pretty much had to lead him to the realization in a slightly uncomfortable conversation later that day.

And now they were finally reunited. After the daring escape from the Boiling Rock that barely succeeded, after Azula's attack on their Air Temple base, after everything they'd all been through, there was finally going to be a quiet night. With everyone in separate tents. And privacy.

He'd slipped Suki a note at dinner telling her to come to his tent that night. Just to talk strategy, of course. And maybe kiss again. And maybe, maybe-- he had to stop himself there or he might verge into dangerous territory. When Zuko and Katara stormed off at dinner, Sokka excused himself and headed down to the water to attempt to wash the stench of weeks of travel off him and his clothes. The cold water brought him to his senses a little, and he reminded himself sternly that now was not the right time for romance.

 _Buuuuuut_ , said a little voice in his head, _It's also not the time for regrets! You're gonna have to fight the fire nation in just a few days. You only live once, and hell, you might not be living much longer! So go for it, kiddo!_

He didn't know why the voice in his head was calling him kiddo when it was _his_ voice in _his_ head, so it was obviously the same age as him, but it was right. Seriously depressing, but right nonetheless. He picked some pretty red flowers on the walk back, (girls like flowers, right?) and snagged a few of the extra candles tucked away in Appa's saddlebag. He'd replace them later, he told no one in particular.

Sokka didn't know much about omegas, but the biggest thing he could remember was that they were attracted to and comforted by an alpha's scent. It made them feel protected and safe, and Sokka was all about making his friends (especially Suki) feel protected and safe. He assembled his best attempt at a little blanket-nest-slash-bed and padded it with some of his clothes. Not his gross traveling clothes, those were drying outside, but ones that had definitely picked up his scent. The little anxious part of him worried that his scent might not be strong enough. That maybe he really was a lower class of alpha, and it wouldn't make any difference. He shook his head and tried to clear that impulse away. He was still an alpha. This was a matter of biology, not upbringing. He lit the candles with a spark rock, let his hair down, and got to practicing his best 'come hither' face.

A few minutes later, Sokka heard voices outside his tent. He could see two silhouettes illuminated by the dying campfire outside, but couldn't quite make out what they were saying. He started to get up, but then one of the shapes departed and he got himself set for his rehearsed romantic greeting. The tent flap rustled and he turned, totally ready to fluster the omega girl with his super cool alpha vibes.

“Well helloooooo-ACK!” was all he managed. Standing in the entrance was not Suki, but Zuko. _Why the hell does it have to be Zuko?! Oh man this is about to suck._ He liked the guy fine, trusted him more, basically owed his life to him, but the firebender wasn't the most stunning conversationalist. And fuck he could be depressing sometimes. But he'd for _sure_ just caught Suki sneaking over in the middle of the night, and Sokka had to cover fast.

“Uh, Zuko, yes, whyyy would I be expecting anyone different?” Smooth. “So, uh, what's on your mind?” he asked, trying to move the conversation along quickly. He sniffed the air subtly, trying to catch a faint whiff of Suki, hoping Zuko might have carried her scent in with him after bumping into her outside.

What he got instead almost knocked him out. Suki usually smelled like pine needles and honey, earth and dirt after a heavy rain. Comforting and natural. This was more acidic, and much sweeter. Like an orange peel dipped in caramel, the burnt sugar smell mixing and blending with sharp citrus, like the two scents were dancing. It was stronger than anything he'd ever smelled from Suki, and it practically made him dizzy it smelled so good. It totally overpowered all his other senses and left him blinking dumbly at Zuko, trying to listen to what he was saying.

“Your sister,” the husky voice was saying, “she hates me, and I don't know why.” Zuko's eyes shone in the candlelight with an earnestness that Sokka couldn't just brush off. He really, _really_ wanted to, but his friend was troubled and he wasn't a complete asshole, so he sat up and talked.

“Nah, she doesn't hate you,” which was probably the truth, but he couldn't seem to make it sound genuine. “Katara doesn't hate anyone, except maybe some people in the fire nation.” Zuko's face fell. Shit. Shitshitshit. Sokka started blathering, backtracking in an attempt to assuage his friend's obviously heavy heart. He had no idea what he was saying at this point. Every intake of breath brought more of that incredible smell, and he thought he could feel his blood moving in his veins. What the hell was happening to him? He-

“Stop.” the word cut through the fog. Sokka realized he was standing now. “Okay, listen. I know this may seem out of nowhere, but I want you to tell me what happened to your mother.” There was a pause. Zuko raised his eyebrows, and Sokka sat back down on the pile of blankets, thoughts of his mother sobering him in a very sudden and unpleasant way.

“She was an omega. One of the few in our village. Her and my dad were bonded soulmates, and they were totally in love.” Zuko stiffened slightly, but Sokka barely registered it. He told him the story about the raid on their village, feeling the familiar pang of guilt and grief that went along with each one of his failures to keep the people he loved safe. Sure he was a kid at the time, but alphas are supposed to be protectors, and he hadn't been able to do anything to stop the raiders from taking his mother away forever. He would carry that scar for the rest of his life.

When he'd finished, he looked up at Zuko, expecting to see the same cool, stony expression the firebender usually wore. But his face was twisted up, scrunched nose and drawn eyebrows making him look almost like the old Zuko. The one that had chased them all over the world in an attempt to regain his lost honor. Sokka opened his mouth to say something, but the comforting words wouldn't come out. The smell in the tent had intensified. It so strong now he had to brace himself against his knees to stop from keeling over. And it had changed. There was a powerful spice to it now, and a sourness that wasn't there before. Sokka's instincts told him this was the smell of rage. Rage, and regret. Was this... could this be what Zuko was feeling right now? Why- How was he able to tell? Sokka dug his nails into his thighs, trying to focus on the pain and clear his head.

It was obvious, if he thought about it. He and Zuko had gotten much closer during their time at the Boiling Rock. They'd shared emotions and adrenaline and nerves, fought together and almost died together. They were good friends now, of course Sokka would be more sensitive to his emotional state. This particular circumstance had never happened before, but Sokka also hadn't spent this much time with any other Alpha that wasn't family, so he figured it was probably a normal thing. Zuko, crown prince of the Fire Nation, would certainly be a dominant enough alpha to make even other alphas submit to him. And Sokka had never been that dominant in the first place. He was always run around by his sister and father, and even Toph since she joined Team Avatar. So, it made sense that Zuko's pheromones would be this strong. Although it didn't quite explain the intoxicating smell from before.

“I-” Zuko began, his voice strained, “I lost my mother too. She was... very important to me.” If Sokka didn't know better, he might think the man was on the verge of tears. Before he was aware of it, his hand was reaching out, pressing onto Zuko's, his thumb rubbing comfortingly across the (incredibly soft and warm? huh?) back of Zuko's hand. His friend looked down, surprised, but didn't pull away. Instead, he turned his hand over and pressed their palms together, squeezing gently with his fingers, which were calloused and firm from years of sword training. A stark opposition to the softness of the other side.

Sokka shivered slightly. So they were holding hands a little. _That's fine_ , he told himself, _this is a thing friends do...right?_ He'd never really wanted to hold Aang's hand, or Toph's, but whatever. This was nice. The sour smell started to fade back to it's original sweetness, and he knew Zuko felt comforted by the gesture. Sokka smiled.

“Can you remember any details about the soldiers who raided your village?” Zuko asked softly, still looking at their joined hands, as if they would give him an answer. “Like, what the lead ship looked like?”

Sokka searched his vague memory of the day. “Yeah... Sea Ravens. The main ship had flags with Sea Ravens on them.” Zuko's head snapped up and he pulled his hand away in a flash.

“The symbol of the Southern Raiders.” Zuko looked troubled, and something in Sokka's brain screamed at him to lean forward and hug the man, but he held himself back. He recalled a time where Toph had tried to initiate contact with the firebender- just a friendly hand on the shoulder, but he'd jerked away as if touched by a hot coal. Zuko had brushed it off as a reaction from years of combat training, but for some reason the whole interaction left a sour taste in Sokka's mouth. But then, why... Why had he let Sokka touch his hand so easily? And why had he allowed it to stay there for more than a moment? And why--?

Sokka's head was spinning again. He wanted to run out of the tent, away from the miasma of Zuko's scent, and jump into the freezing ocean below them. He wanted to swing his space sword around and holler and crack the blade into some trees. More than anything, he wanted to push Zuko down and bury his face in the other man's neck. He wanted to taste the sugar and citrus on his skin. He wanted to-

“Thanks, Sokka.” The sound of his name brought Sokka back to reality. What. The Fuck. Was he just thinking?? This is _Zuko_ we're talking about! His friend! He needed to get away from him as fast as possible.

“No problem,” he started, sitting up a little too urgently, trying to indicate the conversation was over. “Thanks for stopping by.” He pressed his arm against Zuko's back, getting painfully, _agonizingly_ close to the man, and gently ushered him outside. As he closed the tent flap behind him, Sokka thought he saw a slight look of disappointment on Zuko's face. He could swear that the firebender's scent dampened slightly, like the smoky smell of an extinguished candle. And he could swear his own heart was beating louder than it ever had before.

 _I thought he'd never leave_ , Sokka thought to himself as he sat back onto his heels. He buried his face in his hands, trying to smell anything else. Even just a trace of his own, familiar scent. But Zuko was everywhere. His smell had permeated everything in the tent, Sokka's skin included. It was inescapable. He had to clear the air, had to change the dizzying odor to something else, something that didn't make his blood absolutely _boil_ like this. _Suki_ , he thought. _Suki smells nice, I like her smell. She can cover this up. She can help me. An omega's smell will fix this._ He stuck his head out the entrance and took a breath of clean, fresh air.

“Suki?” he hissed, glancing around the dark campground. The fire was totally out now, but he had no trouble seeing clearly. He turned to his right and there was Zuko, a bit of flame illuminating his hand, his shoulders slumped. He turned at the noise and locked eyes with Sokka.

“Uhh, I-” Sokka stammered, searching for an excuse. But Zuko just looked away and shrugged, traipsing off in his trademark solemn way. Sokka watched him go, curious. He'd noticed it before, but without his Fire Nation armor on, Zuko's build was slender and powerful. He had broad shoulders, a strong back, and a narrow waist that would probably feel really good to wrap your arms around.

“Sokka!” a half-whispered call drew his attention from close by. He looked around and found Suki emerging from the shadows and making her way over, her steps completely silent even in the dead quiet of the night. She neared the entrance, and Sokka scurried back into the tent's interior to give her room. _Right_ , he thought. _Right, Suki's the one I like. She's the one I want to touch, and hug, and kiss. Of course._

“Sorry about that, Zuko totally surprised me earlier.” Suki murmured, ducking her way through the makeshift doorway. “He-” she stopped, looking around.

“What's up?” Sokka asked, his voice betraying more anxiety than he appreciated. What the hell was he so nervous about? Suki's face was scrunched, her eyes darting all over the space.

“It smells... weird in here. Are those scented or something?” she moved past Sokka and picked up one of the candles, sniffed it, and put it down. Then she did the same with the rest of them. Then she picked up some of the flower petals strewn across the ground and smelled them, too. “Ugh, what is it?” she probed, lifting her hand to her face in a clear attempt to block out whatever the unpleasant fragrance was.

Sokka sniffed the air, too. The tent still smelled completely of orange and caramel. He could barely smell Suki at all. It couldn't be Zuko's smell that was bothering her, Sokka figured, since it's such a pleasant one. And it clearly wasn't the candles, or the flowers, so--

“Suki.” She turned to him, confused. “Suki, I think it's... me? I think what you're smelling is just... my smell.” Sokka felt like he might cry. This evening had already been so overwhelming and embarrassing, the last thing he needed was for his insecurities to be confirmed like this.

“No.” A slender hand reached out and touched his cheek. He looked up into Suki's kind eyes. “No, Sokka, I obviously know what you smell like. I like your smell. It's salty and crisp, like the ocean. This is-” she lifted her other hand to her nose. “This is way, way different. This isn't an alpha's scent.”

“Huh?” What did she mean? Was it something outside she was smelling? Could someone else in camp be letting off a strong scent? He figured he would have noticed too.

“Sokka, this is the smell of an omega. One that's marking their territory.” She looked concerned. Her gaze flickered over to the makeshift bed at the end of the tent.

“Uh, no, that's not possible. The only person that's been in here besides me is Zuko, and he's an alpha, so-”

“What?” Suki laughed, a little coldly. “Sokka... do you think Zuko's an alpha?” Sokka blinked.

“Of course he is, he's the prince of the Fire Nation, what else could he possibly-” his voice caught in his throat. What was she talking about? Was Zuko-

“Zuko's an omega, Sokka. Like me.” She looked him dead in the eyes as she said this, her tone and expression suddenly stern. Sokka's heart was beating so loud now he was sure she could hear it in the quiet tent. Zuko? An omega? How is that even possible? Why had nobody mentioned it before? And how did he not notice?

“That's-” he started, but couldn't finish the thought. He stared at the ground, his mind racing. Suki sighed.

“Look, it's not a big deal.” Her voice was quiet but hard. “He doesn't talk about it, but everyone knows. It's... kinda hard not to.” She shrugged. “I thought you knew too, but.... sorry.” Suki crouched down to Sokka's eye level, and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. “Sorry, Sokka. It's getting late. Lets talk later, okay?” he nodded, and she ducked out of the tent, leaving Sokka still frozen in place.

He felt numb. Zuko was an omega. Zuko, the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation, wasn't an alpha. Pieces began to fall into place. Zuko's banishment, the way his Firelord father treated him, the way Toph had warmed to him so quickly, how easily Katara had trusted him once before, at Ba Sing Se. Sokka couldn't begin to imagine the pain he'd gone through, an omega son of a royal family. His heart ached. He knew he should be chasing after Suki, trying to explain himself, the situation, but all he wanted to do was go to Zuko and hug him tightly and never let go.

He took a deep breath, inhaling his friend's now fading scent. The scent that was stronger than any other he'd ever experienced. The one that set his heart racing and his blood rushing. The one that had practically knocked him over earlier. The one that he couldn't get enough of.

“Fuck” he muttered, falling onto his back. There's no way he was going to sleep well tonight.

Note: Thanks for reading! This is the first fic I've put online since I was like 13 so I hope you enjoyed!


	2. Wrong Room

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sokka processes his feelings.... but not very well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my gosh thanks so much for the support, y'all!!! Sorry for the serious delay in chapter 2. Quarantine got to me for a bit (woohoo -_-), but then I got surgery, then I moved across the country so it's been pretty insane. Buuuuuuuut I'm glad you enjoyed the fruits of my rotten brain, so here's some more! There's a couple of time jumps in here, marked by page breaks. As always, credit for the characters and the world goes to the creators of ATLA, as well as some stolen lines of dialogue. Credit for trash goes to uhhhhhh mmmmeeeeeee.

Chapter 2

The next morning, Sokka awoke from his brief and dreamless sleep feeling unbelievably embarrassed. He'd made a complete fool of himself last night, in front of first Zuko and then Suki. He lay on the ground where he'd dozed off and tried to blink the sleep from his eyes, fighting the desire to just fall right back into unconsciousness and never face either of them again. He knew he needed to apologize, but he didn't really know what for? He hadn't actually _done_ anything. But the way he'd thought about Zuko while they talked, and the way Suki had left him so quickly... both those things made his guts squirm.

As if on cue, his stomach let out a long, loud growl. He rolled over and crawled blearily out of the tent, wandering off to where their supplies were nearly piled against a rock. Fishing some jerky and an apple out of his bag, he sat down to eat and think some more.

So, Zuko was an omega. And he, Sokka, an alpha, had reacted strongly to Zuko's scent. So, that means.... what? That they're soulmates? Him and Zuko? He tried to picture it, but these days it was hard to picture anything further into the future than the looming disaster of Sozin's comet, now just a few days away.

Sokka shook his head. He needed to distract himself, keep his hands and his brain busy. There were tons of nice flowers around him, and he figured now would be the perfect time to learn how to make a flower crown. Katara had shown him how to make one out of sea kelp when they were kids, so it couldn't be that different. It would be nice to have something to give to Suki as an apology. As for Zuko, well... he couldn't really process that right now.

Twenty minutes and just as many failed attempts later, Sokka had a nice flower chain going. He was feeling much calmer, and was just getting ready to connect the two ends when he heard his sisters voice coming from the other side of the camp. She sounded upset, so Sokka wandered over, ready to diffuse the situation with a dumb joke like always, but he stopped. Zuko was with Katara. And they were talking about going to find... who? He was barely listening, his attention focused entirely on Zuko.

The scent that had been so intense in his tent the night before was now mixing into the open air, making it a little weaker and easier to bear. Sokka wanted to smack himself for never noticing it before. It was everywhere around him, and it made his brain and his skin tingle. He clenched his fist, digging his nails into his palm. Something serious was clearly happening, and he needed to keep a cool head and help his friends.

//////////

They'd been on ember island for less than a day when Suki found Sokka wandering around the Firelord's abandoned mansion. He'd been scouring the grounds, looking for anything resembling a library or a study, trying to find any scrap of information about the Fire Nation. He had most of his upper body shoved inside a cabinet, looking for a secret panel or switch, when she tapped him on the back and made him smack his head on the upper shelf so hard he saw stars.

“Sorry!” she chuckled, seeming like her usual self. “Didn't mean to scare you, I just thought you might want to take a little walk?” She gave him a smile and a look that meant he didn't have any room to refuse the invitation. Sokka rubbed his head and forced a smile.

“Sure, yeah. Uhh, why don't we explore the town a little? Stock up on some supplies. We need more veggies, and Appa's almost out of hay.”

They set out from the back gate and walked a little while, Suki not saying anything. Sokka kept quiet as well- he wanted her to have the first word, and he had no idea how to even start the conversation anyway. A minute passed. Then two, three, then five. He knew she was angry with him. She had every right to be, but the tense silence was starting to chafe at his nerves. He pushed his shaky hands into the pockets of his stolen Fire Nation pants, faking nonchalance.

“So-” she began, the sound so sudden it startled him. He hoped she wouldn't notice, but this is Suki we're talking about. She's a trained warrior. She notices everything. Unexpectedly, she laughed.

“What are you so nervous about?”

“Oh, no, nothing, just, I-” he waved his hands, trying to articulate a point he couldn't quite put into words. He was never great at dealing with tension. At home, he'd always been the one breaking up fights, or calming people down with a joke and a smile. Even among the group, he liked to think of himself as the comic relief. He just wasn't good in serious situations. Suki said nothing, just looked at him and raised her eyebrows, waiting for him to continue. He took a deep breath.

“Look, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for what happened the other night, and for the fact that you had to explain everything to me like I'm an idiot. I'm sorry that--” his words caught a little in his throat. “--that maybe we're not, like, 'meant to be' after all?” He couldn't look at her. He didn't want to see anger on her face. Or pain. Or confusion. “I really thought we could be, but... I guess I was wrong as usual.” He bit his lip, steeled himself, and looked at her.

Suki didn't look hurt or angry. She just looked... absolutely bewildered.

“What... what the HELL, Sokka?” Her mouth opened and closed a few times before letting out a long sigh. “Honestly, I'm really surprised. This is super embarrassing.” she reached up and ran a hand through her hair, looking up at the clear blue sky. She stopped walking and turned to Sokka, a smile playing across her face. “Do you know why I went to your tent the other night?”

“Um, I gave you that note, I thought we would, I don't know, talk? Like, catch up.” Sokka was more than a little confused. Wasn't she taking this a bit _too_ well? He was basically breaking up with her, after all.

“Yeah, talk.” Suki smiled fully now. “And apologize.” She held her hand out, and Sokka took it automatically. “Sokka, I found my soulmate, and it isn't you.”

For possibly the first time in his life, Sokka was stunned silent. The thought that Suki might have found someone else had been the furthest thing from his mind, and now he felt like an absolute moron for being so totally sure that he was breaking her heart. He felt foolish, and embarrassed, but more than anything else he was so completely and utterly relieved. He didn't have to hurt Suki. He hadn't hurt her. He could stay her friend, keep her in his life- for as long as that might last. If he were to die on the day of Sozin's Comet, it would be with Suki as his friend and companion. He let a few tears fall, wiped away quickly by Suki's gentle touch.

“Oh, no, don't cry Sokka! It's a good thing! We-” before she could finish, Sokka pulled her into the biggest platypus bear hug, lifting her up off the ground and spinning around two or three times.

“Oh maaaan that's such a relief!! Suki you have _no idea_! I was totally agonizing about it for like three whole days and-- wait... hang on a sec...” He grabbed her shoulders and pushed her away, enough to look her in the eyes. “Who is it? Is it someone from Kiyoshi Island? Or... someone from the earth kingdom?” He searched his mind. Who else had they met recently- “OH MY GOD SUKI!! NO!! IS IT _CHIT SANG?!_ ” He still didn't like the guy, despite not ratting on him to the warden when he had the chance. Thankfully, Suki shook her head.

“No, haha, no way! Don't worry.” a light dappling of pink started to bloom across her cheeks, and she looked away awkwardly. “It's... embarrassing, and stupid. I've been pretty mixed up about it too.” Sokka blinked, confused. Suki sighed, looking down and pulling at the hem of her shirt. “It's... Toph.” Sokka dropped his arms and let them hang limply at his side.

“Oh. Oh damn. Uhhh, does she...y'know... know?” Toph was clever and talented, but could be slow to pick up on other people's feelings. He figured that it must be hard to read people's faces when you see with your feet. Suki let out a little puff of air and smiled awkwardly.

“No, I don't think she has any idea. And that's how I want it to be.”

“Wha-”

“Sokka, listen, I don't want her to know. When I first met Toph, I didn't pay her much attention. She was just some kid, and I was so enamored with you then.” Sokka wiggled his eyebrows jokingly, and she punched him. Not hard enough to do any real damage, but just hard enough to hurt.

“But,” she continued, “a few days ago, when we got off the airship and I saw her again, It was like something... I don't know, changed? Everything inside me was screaming that... she's the one. I don't know if it was me, or her, or maybe both of us, but something's different.” she blushed even harder, and Sokka had to bite his cheek to keep from making a snarky comment that would earn him a massive bruise. “Anyway, she's still just a kid. I don't want to be creepy, and I don't want her to feel cornered. So I'm just... on standby I guess. Until we're both older, or until she figures it out and we can talk about it. My heat's always been pretty stable anyway, so I'm not worried about that.”

Sokka was a little lost for words. Suki was taking this so seriously. She'd thought about it, parsed through her options and figured out what was the best course of action for both her and her soulmate. He, meanwhile, had done nothing but sulk and try to avoid his own thoughts.

“Some real dumb alphas in good ol' Team Avatar, huh?” He nudged her, and she smiled again.

“You can say that again.” She turned back the way they'd been heading before, and hooked her arm around his. “So... Zuko, huh?”

“Yeah... I'm trying not to think about it.”

“Why not?” She tugged on his arm, and they started walking again. “He's pretty handsome, and strong. Do you not like him?”

“No, I do, I... I think...” _Did_ he like Zuko? He definitely found the firebender hard to talk to, and a little sulky. They'd barely shared a word since that night in his tent, but every time Sokka looked over at him it seemed like Zuko had just looked away. Plus, he couldn't help but think that Zuko was kind of cute when he sulked. He would chew on his bottom lip and pinch his eyebrows together in a way that literally made Sokka choke on his breakfast the first time he saw it.

“Yeah... I think I like him. But I get so confused whenever I try to get close to him. He just gets in my head in a weird way? Like sometimes, when he's talking, I can't even hear him cuz I'm just staring at his face. And then other times all I want is to listen to him talk for like twelve straight hours. And I'm always so...aware of him.” He sighed. This was the most he'd talked about his feelings in ages.

“I feel like I'm going nuts. I always want to be around him. When I don't know where he is, I'm worried. And when he's here I want to protect him, even though I know he's perfectly capable of protecting himself, and would absolutely kick my ass if I tried! And y'know, I think I was even feeling all this before, but I didn't realise until now cuz I assumed he was an Alpha and I was just being outranked. But now... I don't know. I'm... confused I guess.” He glanced over at Suki, who was wearing the most infuriating smirk.

“Dude. You've got it BAD. You're totally done for.”

“You think so?”

“I know so.” She nudged him affectionately in the ribs. “He might be rough around the edges, but Zuko has a good heart.” Sokka nodded. He knew this. Zuko had gotten himself captured at the prison to keep Sokka from being found. He'd stayed behind with him, passed up on an opportunity to escape on the off chance that Hakoda would be arriving. He'd gone on trips with Aang and Katara and helped them with their problems. He abandoned his home, his family, and his idea of honor to do what he knew was right. Sokka's chest felt like it might burst. He grabbed at his shirt, pressing his hand to his heart.

“Shit, Suki. I think I'm in love with him.” Again, his tears fell, unbidden. This time, Suki just looked at him. She slipped her arm around his waist and gave it a squeeze.

“Yeah.”

“This sucks so much.”

“...Yeah.”

//////////

Sokka had spent the last couple days trying his best not to be in close quarters with Zuko. In open spaces his scent was diffused enough that he could more or less ignore it and function normally. But as he strolled up the hill to the manor, ready to give his friends the exciting news, something was off. His head felt heavy, and he could feel his breathing getting shallower. It wasn't until he arrived in the courtyard that he realised the source of his symptoms.

Zuko and Aang must have just finished firebending practice because there, perched on the edge of the fountain, was Zuko-- shirtless and sweating and straight-up _glistening_ as he sipped from a small cup. Despite being outside, the heat of the fire produced during training had atomized Zuko's sweat, and the sticky scent of burnt sugar and ripe citrus was thick in the air.

Sokka's mouth went dry. Every thought vanished from his mind and was replaced with the image of his friend's extraordinary abs, toned arms, and gorgeous pecs. Had he never seen Zuko shirtless? He couldn't remember. He could barely remember his name. There was something he was supposed to be doing- what was it? The only thing he could process was how urgently he needed to taste every square inch of skin on Zuko's body. He needed to know what that strong form would feel like squirming beneath him. He took a step forward and was met with a hard elbow to the ribs.

Suki had arrived beside him, and was glaring daggers at Sokka, now gasping for air.

“We were just in town, and we found this poster!” Suki announced. The poster. Right. The play. He'd been so excited just a few seconds ago but now it didn't seem to matter at all. He glanced at Zuko, and was met with a puzzled look. Sokka tried to arrange his face into a smile and unfurled the poster, holding it out in front of his face in an attempt to hide his growing blush. This was bad. Zuko's scent hadn't affected him like that before. It was close that night in his tent, but he'd been confused about it's source. Now he knew where it was coming from, and he knew that he had feelings for Zuko, the built-up tension was going to kill him. For better or for worse, he was going to have to say something, and soon.

//////////

The play had been well and truly awful. Sokka trudged back with the group, listening to Zuko and Katara arguing up ahead of him.

“I'm just saying, the pacing wasn't too bad.”

“Are you kidding me?” the exasperated anger in the firebender's voice made Sokka smile despite himself.

“I've seen a pack of spidermonkeys more engaging than those dumbasses. It was just so... ugh! So self-obsessed! Masturbatory!”

Sokka snorted in surprise. Hearing such a dirty word come from Zuko was genuinely shocking. And a little arousing if he was being honest, which he wasn't. Zuko spun around, eyes ablaze.

“What? You didn't actually like it, did you?”

“Uh- no, I mean-” he had no idea what to say, and shrugged noncommittally. “Nah, it was... suuuper lame.” This seemed to satisfy Zuko because he nodded and turned back to continue his tirade against the Ember Island players.

By the time they reached home (when did this manor start to feel like home?), the sun had completely disappeared beneath the horizon. It was dark and quite cold, but they'd already agreed not to make any fires at night so as not to arouse suspicion from the neighbors. They ate a quick meal of cold roasted vegetables, barely talking, everyone seeming lost in their own thoughts. It wasn't until Katara gave him a little kick that he realized he'd been staring at Zuko, watching him eat. He blushed, hurriedly scarfed down the rest of his food, and excused himself to bed.

Since the house was so massive, everyone was able to have their own room. Toph and Zuko had been quite pleased about this, letting their inner rich kids show, but Sokka felt uneasy. Growing up sharing a single room with his whole family, sleeping on his own in the large space made him feel empty and more than a little lonely. He tossed and turned, pulling the sheets tight around him, then kicking them off straight away, finding it totally impossible to get comfortable. He sat up cross-legged and did some stretches, feeling the muscles pull across his ribs as he leaned to the side. He sighed, untied his hair, and shook it out. It must be getting late already. He could hear Toph's heavy snores from the room next door through the wall and smiled. His thoughts turned to Suki, and their conversation the day before. Her declaration of Toph as her destined soulmate, and his realization of how deeply he actually felt for Zuko. Zuko. He wondered if his friend had any idea of everything Sokka had been feeling for the last week.

He needed to reset. Sokka swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stood up, heading for the door. A little cold water to the face never hurt anyone, and he could use the shock to help him think clearer. Plus, nature was calling and it'd be impossible to sleep with a full bladder.

The hallway to the bathroom was long and dark, but the moon shining bright through the many luxurious windows made it easy to navigate. He thanked Yue in his head, chuckling slightly at the idea of her making the moon brighter just so he could go take a leak in the dead of night. He took a deep breath, and his nose twitched involuntarily. He could smell Zuko nearby, though he wasn't sure which room the boy had chosen.

As he approached the bathroom door at the end of the hall, the smell was only getting stronger. Sokka's breath was starting to feel too hot in his lungs. All the air around him seemed to be getting increasingly warmer as the scent intensified, and each breath seemed to have less oxygen than the last. He was panting now, pulling in lungful after lungful of that sweet, sharp scent. He pressed his back against the wall of the hallway, his legs threatening to give out under him as his head swam.

“-ngh”

A choked-off sound, barely audible, had echoed from the door directly in front of him. Ever so slightly ajar, moonlight spilled into the room as Sokka pushed himself off the wall towards the source of the noise. He fell forward, and was met with the strongest gust of Zuko's scent he'd ever felt. It embraced him- he felt like it could lift him up if his legs weren't also so incredibly heavy. He leaned his weight against the door frame, trying to stabilize himself, and pressed his face into the crack in the door.

The room was dark, other than the sliver of moonlight now partially blocked by Sokka's head. A shape moved atop the bed on the far side of the room, and another sound pealed out from it, this one a more frustrated whine. Sokka sucked in a breath. As his eyes adjusted to the dim light, he recognized the shape as Zuko, under a sheet but clearly pushed up on his hands and knees. His head dipped low as his hand reached under the thin fabric and around behind him. He groaned again, and Sokka couldn't stop the echoing groan that fell from his mouth in reply. Zuko shot up, wrapping the sheet around his hips and twisting towards the door.

Sokka fell back, trying to scramble away but his whole body was like lead.

“Who's there?” the hoarse voice called out from inside the room. That was enough to send Sokka to his feet and dashing down the hallway, any thought of the bathroom completely forgotten. He slid into his room, jumped into bed, and pulled the covers tight over himself. His breaths were coming more easily now, his head less clouded, but he was still reeling over the incredibly private moment he'd just witnessed. His mind spun with thoughts for another hour or so until he finally wore himself out and fell asleep.

But if he'd stayed at that door for a minute longer, he would have heard the follow-up question from the firebender, shaky and full of hope, simply asking.

“...Sokka?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all can have a little spice, as a treat. I might need to change the rating soon tho, if that gives you an idea of what's happening in my evil little head. Hope you enjoyed!


End file.
